Each winter we use products with chloride in it (road salt) to keep us safe while driving on our snow and ice-covered roads. As that snow and ice melts, the salt dissolves into the water and flows downhill to our storm drains and ultimately our waterways. Reduce your use of road salt while staying safe.

It’s that time of year again. Maine’s trees have lost their colorful leaves and winter is coming. Help keep your storm drain clear by sweeping or raking the leaves out of the storm drain and along the road.

They said it couldn’t be done. But students at Rowe Elementary powered through 2 days of trail work to improve their outdoor learning classrooms and spread over 10 yards of mulch. Mulch was spread in classroom spaces and along newer trails to help improve access to these learning spaces. Their four outdoor classrooms are located along the Capisic Brook and provide opportunities for teacher to bring their students outside for various lessons.

Longfellow Elementary 5th graders installed a new rain garden in addition to testing their theories and lawncare equipment to determine which methods will lead to healthy yards while protecting the local streams and Casco Bay.

King Middle School 7th graders received ~350 brook trout eggs in early February along with three lessons from Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District to start their learning on water quality. These lessons introduced them to what water quality parameters classify water as healthy, which pollutants have the most harm on water quality, and trout life cycle.

Set yourself and your lawn up for success all season long by implementing the following YardScaping tips between April (or whenever the snow melts) and June.

7th graders at King Middle School have received their brook trout eggs. They will study these eggs as they go through several transitions in their life cycle before being released in the spring.

The holiday season is a great time to get into the gifting spirit! Consider treating yourself (and your neighbors) to the gift of clean water! Portland is fortunate to have wonderful water resources throughout the city and Casco Bay, and it’s up to all of us doing our part to keep them that way. Having trouble coming up with a gift to preserve clean water? We’ve got some suggestions